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In his paintings of the 1920s, Miró developed a personal language of signs and symbols which recur throughout his works. For example, the ‘pin-woman’ on the left is reminiscent of the central mother-figure in ‘Maternité’ (Maternity), which is also owned by the Gallery. The black dot with radiating lines may represent the sun, or be derived from an insect form, while the shape on the bottom right looks like a man’s head in profile. The shapes are set against a blue background, a colour Miró associated with dreams. Although the artist stated that many of his works made from 1925-7 were painted automatically, i.e. without prior preparation, the Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona owns a pencil sketch which is very close to this painting.

Automatism

A painting or drawing process that aims to suppress rational thought, allowing the subconscious to take control. This spontaneous approach is associated with Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism.

Automatism

Details

Acc. No.GMA 4007

MediumOil on canvas

Size33.00 x 24.10 cm

CreditBequeathed by Gabrielle Keiller 1995

Joan Miró (Spanish, 1893 - 1983)

Miró was born in Barcelona and moved to Paris in 1920. His early work combined miniaturist detail with a cubist fragmentation of space. In Paris he abandoned this style and began to paint an imaginary world full of strange, insect-like figures and forms, which seemed to float in space. This fantastic sign language, which was partly inspired by images from the artist's unconscious mind, soon became a hallmark of Surrealist art. Although he spent time away from Spain, Miró remained interested in Catalonian folklore throughout his career.